The Osceola times., 1887-12-03

say that the enemy. without ceasing
their Gre. were waving a white flag as
q summons to surrender.
Don't answerr' he cried. without
removing his eyes from the boy. who
was already in the plain, but who was
no longer running. and who appeared
to be dragging himself along with diff
ficulty.
But get onl run." said the Captain.
ginding his teeth and clenching his
fists; kill yourself. die, scoundrel, but
90 onr' Then a horrible oath burst
from him. 'Ah! the infamous coward,
he has sat down." In fact the boy.
whose head. till now. he had seen pro-
iecting above wheat field, HAD disap-
psared, as if he had fallen. But in a
moment his head came into view again;
finally he was lost behind the hedges,
and the Captain saw him no more.
he then flew downstairs; it was
raining bullets; the rooms were encum-
bered with the wounded; some of them
reeled about like drunken men, catch
ing at the furniture; walls and floor
were spattcred with blood; corpses
were lying across the doors; the lieu
tenants arm had been broken by
ball; every thing was in a whirl of
smoke and dust
"Courager' yelled the Captain.
"Stick to your posts! Relief is coming!
Courage for little while longer"
The Austrians had drawn nearer yet,
their contorted faces loomed through
the smoke, above the rattle of the firing
rose their savage cries. insulting, de-
mandng surrender, threatening
slaughter. Occasionally a soldier,
terror-siricken, retreated from the
window; the sergeant drove him back.
But the defenders fire was slackening;
their faces showed discouragement; it
was impossible to prolong the resist
ancc. Suddenly the firing of the Aus
trians slackened, and laundering
voice shouted, first in German, then in
Italians:
surrender"
"No" howled the Captain from "A
window. And the firing began again
steadier and fercer on both sides. More
soldiers fell. Already more than one
window was without defenders. The
fatal moment was close at hand. The
Captain was muttering between his
teeth in a broken voice: They're not
comingl They're not comingn' and
he ran furiously about, twisting his
saber in his clcnched hand, resolved to
die, when sergeant, coming down
from the garret, cried in n loud voices
"rhey're comingN'
They're comngn the Captain re-
peated, with shout of joy. At this
shout all, unhrrt, wounded, sergeants
and officers, rushed to the windows.
and once more resistance grew fierce.
A few moments after, sort of uncer-
tainty and beginning of disorder were
remarked in the enemy. Immediately,
in great haste. the Captain formed
small company down stairs,
with fixed bayonets ready to
make a sally. Then he flew up
stairs again. He had scarcely got up
there when they heard hurried tread,
accompanied by formidable hurrah,
and from the windows they saw ad-
yancing through the smoke the two
cornered lrats of the Italian carabineers,
n squadron dashing along at full speed,
and the flashing of sword blades
brandished in the air, descending on the
heads. shoulders and backs of the
enemy. Then the little troop rushed
out of the door with lowered bayonets;
the enemy wavered. became disorder
ed and took to flight; the ground re-
NAMED clear, the house was free, and
a short time after the height was oc-
cupied by two battalons of infantry
and two cannon.
The Captain, with his remaining
soldiers, rejained his regiment, fought
again, and was slightly wounded in
the left hand by a glancing ball, in the
last bayonet charge. The day ended
in victory for US.
But the day after, the fight having
begun again, the Italians were over
whelmcd, in spite of brave resist
auce, by the superior number of the
Austriaus, and ON the morning of the
26th they We're compelled to retreat
sorrowiully toward the Mineio
The Captain, although wounded,
marched on foot with his soldiers, who
were tired and silent, and toward sun
set reached Goito on the Mincio, and
Immediately sought out his lieutenant,
who had been picked up, with broken
arm, by our ambulance, and who had
arrived there first He was directed to
church. where field hospital had
hastily been installed. He went there.
The church was fun of wounded, re-
elining ON two rows OF beds and mat
tresscs stretched on the floor; two doe
tors and various assistants were anx-
iously going and coming. and stilled
cries and groauS We're heard.
On entering the Captain stopped
and Looked about him, in search Of
his officer just then he heard faint
voice close by, calling to him:
"Captainn
lie tuned around II was the drum
mer boy; he was stretched on u trcstle
bed, covered up to the chest by coarse
window curtain with little red and
white squares. with his arms out; he